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As England won a Test match in Australia for the first time since the 2010/11 Ashes, discussions around the wicket at Melbourne took center stage. After a two-day finish to the series opener in Perth, the two teams played another two-day affair in the fourth Test in Melbourne.
Batting first after losing the toss, the hosts managed to play out only 45.2 overs and were bowled out for 152. The visitors fared even worse as they were shut out for a paltry 110 in 29.5 overs in their first innings.
Both innings were complete on the opening day, and Australia played out an over of their second innings at stumps on Day 1. The second day followed a similar pattern, with the Aussies bundled out for 132 in the 35th over.
Despite chasing only a moderate 175 for victory, England made heavy weather of the run chase before sealing the deal by four wickets in the 33rd over on the final session of Day 2.
Several former cricketers weighed in on the seam-friendly Melbourne wicket, slamming the pitch, with the following reactions:
This pitch is a joke .. This is selling the game short .. The players / Broadcasters and more importantly the fans .. 26 wickets in 98 overs !!!!! #Ashes ..
Not a single over of spin in 1.5 days of a Test match. 27 wickets have fallen already. Imagine the meltdown if not a single over of pace was bowled for that long in the subcontinent. #TheAshes
MCG have produced an ordinary pitch here . Can't believe 2 out of the 4 ashes tests could end in 2 days For all the hype, 4 ashes tests have happened in just 13 days 🤦🏽🤦🏽 #ashes #CricketTwitter
India ALWAYS gets hammered when wickets fall like crazy on day 1 of a Test and so I hope that Australia gets the same scrutiny! Fair is fair!
"It did a bit more than intended" - Steve Smith on the MCG pitch
Australian captain Steve Smith acknowledged that the Melbourne pitch favored the bowlers a tad too much in the fourth Ashes Test. It was the fourth shortest completed Test in terms of balls and only the seventh Ashes Test that ended inside two days.
When asked about the nature of the wicket af the post-match presentation, Smith said (via Cricbuzz):
"I’d say maybe a touch too much (in favor of the bowlers). It was definitely tricky out there. When you see 36 wickets fall in two days, that probably tells you it did a bit more than intended. Maybe taking a bit of grass off or easing the preparation slightly would’ve helped. But that’s how it was, and we just had to adapt."Despite the setback, Australia still leads the series by an unassailable 3-1 scoreline, having retained the Ashes with a hat-trick of victories in the opening three Tests. The series finale will be played in Sydney, starting Sunday, January 4.
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Edited by Venkatesh Ravichandran
English (US)